


The Center of the Whirlwind

by tuckquartet



Category: Tuck Everlasting - Miller/Tysen/Shear & Federle, Tuck Everlasting - Natalie Babbitt
Genre: but THIS is all about jesse and miles, i miss atlanta tuck, mae and angus and rose all appear briefly or are mentioned, they just go fishing and jesse gets emotional, this is also pre jesse’s fall from the tree
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-18
Updated: 2020-04-18
Packaged: 2021-03-02 04:27:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,511
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23719684
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tuckquartet/pseuds/tuckquartet
Summary: In the center of a whirlwind, the pressure of the atmosphere is less intense than the pressure of the area around it. Like the eye of a hurricane, only not totally calm. That’s how it felt in Miles’ life, at least.Miles and Jesse go fishing the day before Miles gets married.
Relationships: Jesse Tuck & Miles Tuck
Comments: 1
Kudos: 16





	The Center of the Whirlwind

In the center of a whirlwind, the pressure of the atmosphere is less intense than the pressure of the area around it. That’s how it felt in Miles’ life, at least; his wedding was to take place the next morning, in a beautiful church, with his beautiful wife at his side. However, before he could live through that incredible day, he had to make it through the day at hand. 

His mother was a frantic busybody, preparing food for the coming festivities, and his father was trying his best to stay out of her way. It wasn’t going to be an incredibly large ceremony, for they didn’t have the money to spare for it, nor did Miles want that much attention. Unfortunately for the soon-to-be newlywed, attention seemed to follow him around at the moment, a shadow he couldn’t shake. 

Rose and Mae had both agreed that they had to stay in separate places the day before their wedding- “Some old superstition that brides and their mothers insist upon,” Angus had reassured him- so Miles had been sent to stay in his old room at his parents’ house. The small house and smaller room made him feel out of place; out of time. It was a miracle he had come out of this room he’d shared with Jesse with his life, or so it seemed. Even still, it was odd for Miles to lie on his old bed without another presence in the room. Jesse had long since moved out of their parents’ house, though Mae kept the room ready just in case either of them needed it for whatever reason. 

“Miles! You have a visitor!” He heard his father call from down the hall, and barely had time to process the words when the door flew open. 

“Surprise!” 

_Speak of the devil._ Miles dragged himself into a seated position, squinting and purposely looking over his brother, “Is somebody there? I don’t see anybody.”

Jesse stayed in the doorway, humoring his brother’s attempt at a joke. “Come on, I’ll be your height soon enough!”

“Keep telling yourself that, Jesse,” Miles laughed, “Why are you here, though? I’m busy.”

“Busy doing what? Mourning your upcoming loss of freedom?” Jesse finally entered, greeted ever so lovingly with a pillow Miles tossed at him after his most recent comment. He took in the scene scornfully, bright blue eyes lolling backwards. “Get yourself up, we’re going!”

Miles didn’t move from his bed, more than just confused at this command, “Where? I don’t have any plans for today. I was hoping to keep it that way.”

Jesse mockingly pouted, setting the pillow back onto the bed with a heaving sigh. “If you stay in here for a minute longer, you’re going to be put to work. Ma nearly recruited me as her helper before Pa convinced her to let me go! So, we’re going fishing! I already have all of the equipment out on the porch, I just need a fishing buddy.” 

Miles wasn’t very surprised by this notion; they’d gone fishing together as kids frequently. Although more often than not, it just ended with one brother shoving the other into the water, and a water fight followed soon afterwards. They hadn’t gone fishing in forever, and he had nothing else to do, so he finally gave into Jesse’s pleas. “Alright, alright. Let me get ready.”

“Yes! I knew you’d say yes!” Jesse raced down the hallway that was too old and too small for his antics. “Pa! I’m going to be borrowing your lucky rod!”

“That’s not even fair! You always beat me to that rod, Jesse! Plus it’s my wedding tomorrow, I need all the luck I can get!”

The day wasn’t overwhelmingly hot once they collected their fishing gear and set out for the shore. Rose had insisted on getting married in spring, because of the flowers and the mellow weather. Miles finally understood why she was right- the june bugs buzzing and stifling heat wouldn’t be as beautiful as a day like this. 

Jesse _loved_ to fish. Rather, as a child, he liked going out in the boat with his father and looking into the waters below. He’d lean over the side of the boat and try to get his nose as close to the surface of the water as he could, squinting in one eye to try and see underneath better. It was a whole different world to explore, and he couldn’t explore it from the swimming area near the shore. It was too far out, far past the point where he could swim underwater without worrying about drowning. 

“Are you… purposely putting your face underwater like that?” 

Jesse, startled by Miles’ sudden question in the silence, jerked his head up and faced his brother. The sudden movement caused black spots to enter his vision, and he must have been rocking a bit as if he’d fall down dead in the boat, as Miles removed one hand from his fishing rod to steady his brother. Miles was good with Jesse’s sudden bouts of vertigo, as uncharacteristic as they were. Miles was patient and not weak, and not constantly catching colds from exploring the woods in the rain, and he didn’t stick his face too close to the surface of water. He was good at fishing, too.

In a far away world, Jesse could hear Miles’ voice, but couldn’t make out the words. Miles probably could, if he were in the same boat. 

_Hah. The same boat._

Jesse laughed dryly at the pun he’d created in his mind, which only raised more concern from his brother. He moved away from Miles’ hand, running his fingers over the grooves on the wooden bench beside him. “I can put my face as close to the water as I want to!”

Miles furrowed his brow, though he didn’t seem curious enough to prod at that. “You haven’t even touched your fishing rod, and you took the lucky one, too.”

“I’ll use it when I feel like making use of it,” Jesse quipped. 

“If you say so,” Miles said, too primly to really be the brother Jesse remembered from when they were kids. Maybe he was some kind of changeling they mention in those storybooks meant to scare children. Finally, after too much quiet time Jesse spent wondering about the logistics of an adult changeling, Miles spoke again. “Are you alright, Jesse?”

Jesse simply stared at the extra coil of rope beneath his feet, unable to find the right words. Frankly, he was just unable to safely break the barrier between his thoughts and the real world- not without possibly hurting his brother in the process. “Jesse, you can talk to me. What is it?” 

“It’s just… You.” Jesse winced at the way he’d begun. It was too blunt, too vague, and too hurtful all wrapped into one. “Not like that! I didn’t mean for that to sound mean, promise. It’s just that… well, you’re getting married tomorrow, and you’ll be leaving to start your own family and you’ll never come back to visit me! And we won’t ever go fishing like this together again because you’ll be too busy teaching your son- or daughter, or maybe both- how to fish, and so I’ll just be... all alone, or I’ll have to go with Pa, but he isn’t my brother so it isn’t the same. Plus! You’re getting married to Rose and she’s all townly and proper and pious, and she’s made you all proper and civilized and you never come exploring with me anymore, and we won’t ever spend hours out on the lake together, you’ll just move on, grow old, and not need a foolish little brother for anything!” He finally grew hyper aware of his near silent environment and the expression on his older brother’s face. Jesse shrank back, once again made aware of how small he was in this world. “You’re the perfect son, and you’ll be the perfect husband for your wife, and you can fish without a lucky rod’s help, plus you’ve always been more helpful and healthy, and…”

“And?” Miles pressed gently. 

The blond looked up at his brother, tears threatening to fall at any moment. His face grew hot, overcome with the anger and sadness he’d only just begun to express. “And I’m just the little, childish brother! And just to top off the cherry pie… I’m losing you.”

They both let the words crash over them and sink below the waves into the fresh water below. Jesse hadn’t ever expected to utter them out loud, especially to Miles, who looked like he might capsize from the weight of the knowledge he now had. It came as a shock to the both of them. 

The center of a whirlwind has lower atmospheric pressure than the surrounding area, but the difference is still miniscule. Even peace can have its pressure after all. 

Miles stifled the urge to sigh and instead turned his attention to methodically propping his rod against the side of the boat. “Jesse. I’m not moving out of Treegap.”

“You’ll be metaphorical worlds away.”

“You can visit me and Rose whenever you please!” He said, then finally saw how distraught his brother was by this idea. Jesse wasn’t truly afraid that he’d lose his brother. “Are you afraid of me getting married to Rose, kid?”

Jesse laughed weakly through his tears, “Isn’t that just horribly greedy of me? You’re getting everything you’ve ever wanted, and I’m only thinking about myself. As always, right?”

Miles didn’t make greedy decisions. He always used to sacrifice his own free time before chores to spend it with Jesse, whether it was reading to Jesse when he was bedridden with a bad fever or helping Jesse build forts in the woods. _Miles_ certainly wouldn’t put himself over others; he was the best person Jesse had ever known underneath his parents. 

“Jesse, it’s not greedy. That’s how you feel… Say, when Ma and Pa first told me that they were going to have you, do you know what I said?” Miles laughed at his brother’s quizzical expression, continuing, “I said that they were just discontent with me, and wanted another child to make up for it.”

Jesse’s jaw hung open, gaping at this new information. He hadn’t considered that. “What did Ma and Pa say to that?”

Miles smiled, amused by this memory, “Of course, they said that wasn’t true and they thought I could use somebody to play with. It also made chores a lot less exhausting, once you were big enough to split the load with me.” They both snickered at that, Miles taking that as a sign to continue, “Some things are meant to be, Jesse, and I wouldn’t give up having a little brother for the world. I’m not going away, you ninny. And Rose is just bringing out a better side in me- heaven knows, the other half that likes causing mischief with you will be there forever, even if things appear to be changing.” 

“Promise?”

“I swear on it. Now can you answer me one thing? You don’t not like Rose, do you?”

Jesse grinned his lopsided grin and chirped, “I... I don’t actually hate her! No! She makes good pies, even if she can’t fish.”

Miles exhaled a sigh of relief, though it didn’t shadow the urge to shove Jesse into the lake for that. Some things never change, and that makes the pressure easier to handle. “I’m glad. You’re both my family, and I don’t want to lose that.” 

“I just don’t like the concept in itself, I guess,” Jesse started, screwing his face up with deep consideration. The paradox of how he felt about his brother’s marriage would never work itself out. “You’re making all of these grown up decisions, just as if you understand how you want to spend the rest of your life, and I’m still trying to figure out what I want to do with my life. It’s.. odd.”

“You’ll find it soon enough, kid. You’re not some kind of relic, you’ve got years to figure it out. Even if it isn’t the same life that I’m living, I’ll support it. You understand that, right?”

“Yes! No, of course I do! I’ve got ears, Milo,” Jesse rolled his eyes, “I’m not a child.”

Miles folded his arms over his chest and glanced at his rod, which remained still and unmoving from the lack of fish biting, “Don’t roll your eyes. Your face is bound to get stuck in that position.”

Jesse made a face at his brother, with his tongue sticking out and eyes crossed.

“You’re a menace.”

“I learned from the best!”

Exasperated, Miles shook his head. “Imply that I’m a menace again, and I’ll toss you into the lake myself.”

“You love me too much to do that,” Jesse pointed out.

“No, I love _not capsizing_ , which means that I can’t stand up and push you out of this boat,” He argued, although Jesse’s kicked puppy expression made it hard to stand by that, “... Fine. I love you and that stupid waistcoat too much to ruin it by tossing you overboard. And I don’t feel like capsizing.”

Jesse threw his arms up triumphantly, though he griped, “My waistcoat isn’t stupid! Ma says it’s a very nice coat, thank you very much.”

Miles feigned surprise with widened eyes and a less than subtle gasp. “My most humble of apologies, good sir!” He said, in a terrible attempt at a posh accent, “Your waistcoat is very clearly the _epitome_ of fashion. How could I be so foolish?”

“You have no eye for fashion!” Jesse returned the accent, fanning at his face with his hand.

“How can I ever recover from this folly of mine?”

Jesse thought about this for a moment. At long last, he answered with a cheeky grin, “You could let me pocket as many pastries as I can tomorrow.”

“No.”

“You could let me make a speech!”

“You might be my best man, but absolutely not.”

“You could name your first born after me!”

Miles snorted and immediately covered his face with his hand, “I would rather eat hot lard for every meal than name my child Jesse. I don’t need another terror running underfoot.”

“I’m hurt!” Jesse cried, though he recovered from the pain of the statement rather swiftly. “I’ll have to wait until there is a proper time for you to repay me in kind, I suppose. Until then, you will remain forever indebted to me!”

“That sounds positively dreadful, and I refuse.”

Lightheartedly bickering all while continuing to fish the afternoon away, Jesse found himself far more eager to find out what he wanted for the rest of his life. After all, he supposed, life is just a whirlwind of conflict and joy and strife, but it made him all the more excited to find out how Miles had found his calm in the midst of it.

He could wait until he found it, with the reassurance that he had his brother to help him.


End file.
